Cargo by hyperloop to reduce pollution and congestion
One of the first high-speed cargo systems in the world will be built in Germany when US company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies opens a new delivery route in Hamburg.
Three cargo lines are planned from the key port of Hamburg, where freight will average speeds of 700kph along a 60-kilometre track.
Transport times for cargo arriving into Hamburg and then dispatched to other logistical hubs at the end of the line will take just five minutes.
If early trials are successful, thousands of heavy goods vehicles could be taken off the roads, reducing pollution and congestion in major cities.
The announcement yesterday came days after rival company Virgin Hyperloop One revealed its version of the supersonic transport system will be a key feature of the US Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.
A joint venture company between Hyperloop TT, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA) aims to bring the new technology to other ports, shipping and logistics companies around the world.
“Together with HHLA, this joint venture will be able to develop a commercial product that fills a missing need in the port industry,” said Bibop Gresta, chairman and co-founder of Hyperloop TT.
“We have one of the best possible partners to bring this to market globally.”
Hyperloop TT has signed deals to operate a passenger route in Abu Dhabi, with a full-scale prototype test track planned in Toulouse for spring next year. Construction on a 5km route in Abu Dhabi is also scheduled to begin next year.
An initial study connecting a container terminal with storage yards inland using a cargo-based hyperloop system will launch the Hamburg project.
It aims to reduce congestion in the port and city area, lowering the area’s carbon footprint as a result.
A transfer station for testing on the new system will be at the HHLA terminal in Hamburg.
It will include a 100 metre route, with special freight capsule and loading dock to show how the system will work on a larger scale.
No dates have been confirmed when the system will be fully operational.
“HHLA has a long history of innovation,” said Dirk Ahlborn, chief executive and co-founder of Hyperloop TT. “Years before we were talking about self-driving vehicles, containers moved autonomously in Hamburg.
“Together, we will develop a complete system that not only concentrates on speed and efficiency, but also takes into account the issues ports face in daily operation.”
Hyperloop technology is capable of reaching speeds up to 1,200kph, the speed of sound.
In the late 1990s, HHLA was one of the first logistic companies to introduce GPS tracking and automated port operations.
In 2001, it incorporated self-driving vehicles into its daily terminal operation, a groundbreaking innovation for ports around the world.
The company has a network of container terminals in Hamburg, Odessa in Ukraine and Tallinn in Estonia.
“With the Hyperloop transport system, HHLA is pursuing the goal of developing an additional component of efficient logistic mobility solutions in Germany,” said Angela Titzrath, chairwoman of HHLA’s executive board.
“As a gateway to the future, we want to employ innovative approaches to make a contribution to relieving the strain on the transport infrastructure in and around the Port of Hamburg and to use the capacities of our terminal facilities in an even more efficient way.”